Scottish Executive

Armistice Day

Mr Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how it marked Armistice Day.

Mr Andy Kerr: As he did last year, the First Minister launched Scotland’s poppy appeal, and took part in the Royal British Legion Remembrance Sunday parade and service at St Giles Cathedral. He laid a wreath to remember those men and women of Scotland who gave their lives.

  On 11 November I attended the Armistice Day service of remembrance at St George’s Memorial Church in Ypres and then took part in the ceremonials at the Ypres town war memorial and at the Menin Gate which is dedicated to the allied fallen with no identified graves. I laid wreaths on behalf of the people of Scotland. I also visited the Seaforth Highlanders cemetery near Ypres to pay my respects to those buried there and to lay a wreath.

  In keeping with tradition, the two minute silence was observed in Scottish Executive buildings at 11 am on Armistice Day, 11 November. In addition, flags were flown on Scottish Executive buildings on Remembrance Sunday.

  Each year Scottish Executive staff are encouraged to contribute to the poppy appeal and to wear a poppy as a mark of respect for those who gave their lives for our freedom.

Asylum Seekers

Dennis Canavan (Falkirk West): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to support the proposal by Scottish churches and voluntary organisations for the provision of community-based accommodation for asylum seekers’ children and their parents.

Ms Margaret Curran: This is a matter for the Home Office. However, it is important to recognise that the majority of asylum seekers with families already live in local communities.

Carers

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it has given to local authorities, NHS boards and other agencies with regard to the joint funding of projects to support carers, such as the CA(I)RE project at the Eric Liddle Centre.

Mr Tom McCabe: In April 2000 guidance (CCD3/2000) was issued to local authorities, NHS boards and the voluntary sector on local authority expenditure under the Carers Strategy. The guidance stressed the important role of the NHS in supporting carers and advised that health boards and trusts should agree with local authorities their complementary responsibilities for supporting carers. Guidance to the same bodies in September 2001 (CCD7/2001) provided advice on the key steps necessary to improve service outcomes for users and carers through joint resourcing and joint management of community care services. The Community Care (Joint Working etc) Regulations 2002 enabled agencies to pool resources; guidance on this was issued in December 2002 (CCD11/2002).

Child Care

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding it has made available for the provision of child care in the current financial year and what proportion of this funding is ring-fenced, broken down by local authority area.

Euan Robson: The Scottish Executive’s Childcare Strategy aims to provide accessible, affordable, good quality child care for children in all neighbourhoods. To meet the aims of the strategy at a local level, the Executive allocates funding to local authorities through a number of grants. The following tables show allocations for each local authority area in the current year.

  Childcare Strategy funding of £19.25 million in the current financial year has been allocated to local authorities who, with their child care partnerships, determine how best to meet local child care needs. The following table shows the breakdown by local authority area. The funding is allocated as a portion of local authority grant aided expenditure (GAE) and is not ring fenced.

  Childcare Strategy

  

 2003-04
 Project 
  Support
 Infrastructure
 Total
(£000)


 Aberdeen City
 338
 200
 538


 Aberdeenshire
 646
 259
 905


 Angus
 226
 134
 360


 Argyll and Bute
 204
 118
 323


 Clackmannanshire
 58
 86
 144


 Dumfries and Galloway
 400
 168
 568


 Dundee City
 267
 158
 425


 East Ayrshire
 218
 150
 368


 East Dunbartonshire
 106
 141
 247


 East Lothian
 137
 127
 264


 East Renfrewshire
 89
 128
 217


 Edinburgh, City of
 1,121
 378
 1,500


 Eilean Siar
 93
 62
 155


 Falkirk
 226
 171
 397


 Fife
 918
 356
 1,274


 Glasgow City
 3,710
 530
 4,241


 Highland
 647
 228
 876


 Inverclyde
 119
 114
 234


 Midlothian
 108
 118
 226


 Moray
 165
 121
 286


 North Ayrshire
 273
 165
 438


 North Lanarkshire
 898
 342
 1,240


 Orkney Islands
 61
 57
 118


 Perth and Kinross
 258
 157
 443


 Renfrewshire
 337
 194
 531


 Scottish Borders
 238
 133
 371


 Shetland Islands
 79
 62
 141


 South Ayrshire
 181
 133
 314


 South Lanarkshire
 769
 315
 1,083


 Stirling
 147
 116
 263


 West Dunbartonshire
 158
 125
 283


 West Lothian
 278
 202
 480


 Scotland
 13,500
 5,750
 19,250



  A total of £3.6 million has been allocated to local authorities in the current financial year, to continue to drive forward the agenda on child care workforce development. This funding is ring fenced. The following table shows the breakdown by local authority area.

  Childcare Strategy

  Workforce Development 2003-04

  

 Council
 2003-04 
  Allocation (£)


 Aberdeen City 
 136,369 
  


 Aberdeenshire 
 166,162 
  


 Angus 
 80,446 
  


 Argyll and Bute 
 62,289 
  


 Clackmannanshire 
 42,987 
  


 Dumfries and Galloway 
  
 102,265 
  


 Dundee City 
 100,095 
  


 East Ayrshire 
  89,953 
  


 East Dunbartonshire 
  
  77,877 
  


 East Lothian 
  68,946 
  


 East Renfrewshire 
  
 68,814 
  


 Edinburgh, City of 
  
  265,165 
  


 Eilean Siar 
  27,648 
  


 Falkirk 
  102,578 
  


 Fife 
 236,445 
  


 Glasgow City 
  397,816 
  


 Highland 
  148,591 
  


 Inverclyde 
  66,585 
  


 Midlothian 
  63,083 
  


 Moray 
 68,169 
  


 North Ayrshire 
  102,526 
  


 North Lanarkshire 
  
 230,409 
  


 Orkney Islands 
  23,026 
  


 Perth and Kinross 
  
  92,627 
  


 Renfrewshire 
  127,881 
  


 Scottish Borders 
 75,412 
  


 Shetland Islands 
  26,726 
  


 South Ayrshire 
  79,368 
  


 South Lanarkshire 
  
  212,574 
  


 Stirling 
  62,882 
  


 West Dunbartonshire 
  
  75,693 
  


 West Lothian 
  118,593 
  


 Scotland
  3,600,000 
  



  The Standards in Scotland’s Schools etc Act 2000, which came into force in April 2002, placed a new duty on authorities to secure a pre-school education place for all eligible children. In recognition of the cost of meeting this new duty, pre-school education resources totalling £137 million were transferred and subsumed within the GAE settlement from 2002-03.

  The following table lists the calculated allocation of pre-school education grant for the 32 authorities, based on the recommendations of the pre-school re-integration working group. It should be noted, however, that the allocations shown, like all GAE allocations, are not spending targets but simply a method for calculating councils’ relative spending needs. It is up to councils themselves to decide how they wish to prioritise their spending on individual services.

  Pre-school Education Grant Distribution for 2003-04

  

 Authority
 Pre-school 
  Education
 Rural 
  Grant
 Total 
  (£) (rounded)


 Aberdeen City
 4,824,416 
  
 
  -   
   
  4,824,000 


 Aberdeenshire
 
  5,879,471 

  1,381,418 
 
  7,261,000 


 Angus
 
  2,755,502 
  
  379,218 
   
  3,135,000 


 Argyll and Bute
 
  2,178,769 
  
  441,344 
   
  2,620,000 


 Clackmannanshire
 
  1,350,287 
 
  -   
   
  1,350,000 


 Dumfries and Galloway
 
  3,636,621 
  
  848,165 
   
  4,485,000 


 Dundee City
 
  3,751,052 
 
  -   
   
  3,751,000 


 East Ayrshire
 
  3,075,909 
 
  -   
   
  3,076,000 


 East Dunbartonshire
 
  2,892,819 
 
  -   
   
  2,893,000 


 East Lothian
 
  2,457,981 
 
  -   
   
  2,458,000 


 East Renfrewshire
 
  2,567,835 
 
  -   
   
  2,568,000 


 Edinburgh, City of
   
  10,301,090 
 
  -   
 
  10,301,000 


 Eilean Siar

  574,444 
   
 261,383 
  
  836,000 


 Falkirk

  3,796,825 
 
  -   
   
  3,797,000 


 Fife

  9,041,059 
 
  -   
   
  9,041,000 


 Glasgow City

  14,635,741 
 
  -   
 
  14,636,000 


 Highland
 
  5,556,776 
   
  1,236,717 
   
  6,793,000 


 Inverclyde
 
  2,119,265 
 
  -   
   
  2,119,000 


 Midlothian
 
  2,149,017 
 
  -   
   
  2,149,000 


 Moray
 
  2,407,631 
  
  317,924 
   
  2,726,000 


 North Ayrshire
 
  3,574,828 
 
  -   
   
  3,575,000 


 North Lanarkshire
 
  8,895,876 
 
  -   
   
  8,896,000 


 Orkney

  498,920 
  
  188,433 
  
  687,000 


 Perth and Kinross
 
  3,378,007 
  
  501,462 
   
  3,879,000 


 Renfrewshire
 
  4,536,050 
 
  -   
   
  4,536,000 


 Scottish Borders
 
  2,627,339 
  
  518,947 
   
  3,146,000 


 Shetland

  620,217 
 
  264,692 
  
  885,000 


 South Ayrshire
 
  2,682,266 
 
  -   
   
  2,682,000 


 South Lanarkshire
 
  8,017,045 
 
  -   
   
  8,017,000 


 Stirling
 
  2,350,415 
  
  247,714 
   
  2,598,000 


 West Dunbartonshire
 
  2,618,184 
 
  -   
   
  2,618,000 


 West Lothian
 
  4,661,924 
 
  -   
   
  4,662,000 


 Scotland
 
  130,413,581 
  
  6,587,419 
   
  137,000,000

Child Care

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it expects local authorities to work in partnership with the voluntary sector in the provision of child care.

Euan Robson: The Childcare Strategy aims to provide accessible, affordable, quality child care to support families. The strategy is part of the integrated agenda for the delivery of children's services to which child care and child care provision makes an important contribution. Under guidance issued in October 1998, local authorities were advised that ministers wished them to establish a representative body, or child care partnership, covering the range of child care interests including the voluntary sector in their areas. Local authorities work in conjunction with providers through such local contacts and their views are taken into account in the provision of services to meet the aims of the child care strategy.

  The Standards in Scotland’s Schools etc Act 2000, which came into force in April 2002, placed a duty on authorities to secure a pre-school education place for all eligible children. The duty allows local authorities to secure pre-school education from voluntary or private partner providers within the sector and every local authority in Scotland commission’s pre-school education places from partners. In July of this year I launched fresh guidance to local authorities on commissioning pre-school education partners. This was in recognition of the importance of partnership arrangements in delivering pre-school education.

Child Poverty

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive which funding streams target child poverty.

Ms Margaret Curran: Work is the best route out of poverty for families, and the Executive supports individuals into employment through education, training and skills development. For instance, the training for work programme aims to improve the skills and employability of jobless adults with the aim of helping them secure employment. The Executive’s child care strategy aims to provide good quality affordable child care to enable parents to take up employment or training opportunities.

  The Executive also works in partnership with the UK Government to tackle poverty. Financial support for families is available through tax credits and benefits as well as initiatives like the New Deal that promote employment.

  In addition, Executive funding streams that are designed to address aspects of child poverty include the Changing Children’s Services Fund (CCSF) which aims to support change and improvement in children’s service delivery at local level for children and their families, with an emphasis on vulnerable children and those living in poverty and Sure Start Scotland, which supports families of very young children (0-3) who are in greatest need. Other examples of Executive funding streams that tackle child poverty include social inclusion partnerships, the Rough Sleepers Initiative, the Lone Parents Childcare Grant for Further and Higher Education and the Health Improvement Fund.

Community Safety

Janis Hughes Janis Hughes (Glasgow Rutherglen) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide revenue funding for locally-based CCTV projects.

Hugh Henry: The community safety partnership award programme makes £4 million per annum available to local authority-led community safety partnerships to assist them in identifying and addressing local community safety priorities, which can include capital and revenue costs of CCTV.

Environment

Alex Johnstone (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what impact the implementation of the European Commission Waste Incineration Directive will have on the use of small waste oil burners.

Ross Finnie: The impact the Waste Incineration (Scotland) Regulations 2003, which transpose the Waste Incineration Directive, will have on small waste oil burners (SWOBs) depends on individual circumstances. A SWOB will only be affected if it is deemed to be a technical unit for the purposes of the regulations. If an existing SWOB falls within the scope of the regulations, it will require to comply with the regulations by 28 December 2005. If the SWOB is a new installation, it will have to comply before being put into operation. Operators of SWOBs that fail to meet the requirements of the regulations will be unable to operate these units after 2005.

Farming

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-2135 by Ross Finnie on 3 September 2003, how many dairy herds were recorded in (a) Kintyre, (b) Isle of Gigha and (c) Isle of Islay in 2003 to date.

Ross Finnie: Data are not collected on the basis of the number of herds but are on the basis of holdings with dairy cattle. In 2003 there are 52 holdings of dairy cattle in Kintrye, five on the Isle of Gigha and nine on the Isle of Islay.

Farming

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-2135 by Ross Finnie on 3 September 2003, how many dairy cows were recorded in (a) Kintyre, (b) Isle of Gigha and (c) Isle of Islay in 2003 to date.

Ross Finnie: In 2003 there are 4,573 dairy cows in Kintyre, 293 on the Isle of Gigha and 248 on the Isle of Islay.

Ferry Services

George Lyon (Argyll and Bute) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how discussions with the European Commission are progressing with regard to the tendering of Caledonian MacBrayne routes.

Nicol Stephen: The consequences of the Altmark judgement are far from clear. The European Court of Justice’s decision deals with the interaction between the treaty and the relevant state aid regulations for bus services. We have made initial contact with the European Commission and intend to make a more detailed submission after we have examined the full implications.

Fisheries

Mr Alasdair Morrison (Western Isles) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are being taken to protect the fish farming industry from illegal activities of non-EU salmon producers.

Allan Wilson: The Executive continues to engage with the Scottish aquaculture industry, DTI and the European Commission in determining appropriate measures to bring stability to the European salmon market and reduce the risk of a reoccurrence of dumping.

Fuel

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what its policy is on whether there should continue to be a source for the supply of liquid petroleum gas (LPG) fuel in Inverness for vehicles converted to run on that fuel.

Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive promotes the use of LPG through its funding of the Energy Saving Trust’s PowerShift and associated autogas and vehicle conversion programmes, and its rural petrol stations grant scheme. The supply of LPG fuel is, however, a commercial matter.

Justice

Bristow Muldoon (Livingston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what figures are available on the level of prosecutions for driving under the influence of drugs.

Colin Boyd QC: The relevant sections of the Road Traffic Act are section 4(1) (driving whilst unfit through drink or drugs) and section 4(2) (being in charge of a motor vehicle whilst unfit through drink or drugs). In 2002-03, Procurators Fiscal received reports containing a total of 1,204 charges under section 4 (1) or (2) of the Road Traffic Act 1988. One thousand, one hundred and two charges were marked to proceed. It is not possible to extract information about the breakdown of drink/drugs offences within that figure.

NHS Funding

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how additional funding allocated under the Arbuthnott formula in respect of child poverty and improving the health of poor children is targeted in each NHS board area.

Malcolm Chisholm: No specific funding is allocated under the Arbuthnott formula in respect of child poverty and improving the health of poor children. The Arbuthnott formula determines each NHS board’s share of the overall level of funds available. It is for each board to decide locally how best to utilise these funds to meet the health care needs of its resident population taking account of national and local priorities.

NHS Staff

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to increase the number of paediatric (a) nurses and (b) consultants in each NHS board area.

Malcolm Chisholm: NHS boards are responsible for planning services in their areas and for securing the staff needed to deliver them. From September 1997 to March 2003, the number of qualified nurses working within paediatrics rose by 32% from 1,457 to 1,916 (headcount). The number of Paediatric Consultants has also risen from 102 at September 1997 to 121 (headcount) at September 2002, an increase of 19%.

  The Scottish Executive is promoting an integrated approach to workforce planning and development at local, regional and national levels and is investing £1.2 million annually for three years, beginning in 2003-04, to improve workforce planning and development across NHS Scotland. These new arrangements will help deliver on the partnership agreement commitments relating to increasing the capacity of the NHSScotland workforce, specifically including nursing, midwifery and consultant staff.

  We aim to increase the number of consultants by 600 by 2006, and to attract 12,000 nurses and midwives into the NHS by 2007.

  Additional help in areas of recruitment will also be provided by Careers for Health, with one of its aims being to raise the profile of careers in the NHSScotland.

  Work is, therefore, under way to re-energise recruitment to the health service and to redesign jobs where new nursing and medical roles are identified.

NHS Waiting Times

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average waiting time is in each NHS board area for an appointment to receive speech and language therapy.

Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested is not available centrally.

NHS Waiting Times

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the speech and language therapy budget is in each NHS board area expressed also on a per capita basis and as a ratio to the number of people registered as requiring such services.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Information requested is not held centrally. NHS boards are given a budget to meet the health care needs of their resident populations. They are individually responsible for determining how best to meet national and local priorities from within their overall budget allocations.

NHS Waiting Times

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average waiting time is in each NHS board area for an appointment with a physiotherapist.

Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested is not available centrally.

PETS Passport Scheme

Dr Sylvia Jackson (Stirling) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Superfast Ferries with regard to providing a pet passport scheme for the Rosyth ferry port.

Ross Finnie: Officials from my department have been in discussion with Superfast Ferries since January 2001 regarding the implementation of Pet Travel Scheme (PETS) on the Rosyth to Zeebruggee ferry route; the latest communication with them being on the 9 October. We await proposals from them for suitable operation procedures for the carriage of pet cats and dogs which would allow the route to be authorised.

Police

Colin Fox (Lothians) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many police posts will be affected if plans to privatise prison escort and court security duties are implemented.

Cathy Jamieson: The contracting out of prison escort and court custody services is expected to lead to the redeployment of up to 300 police officers on other operational duties.

Public Private Partnerships

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it last communicated with Dumfries and Galloway Council regarding its public private partnership proposals for rebuilding and refurbishing its school estate.

Peter Peacock: The Scottish Executive made the council a conditional offer of revenue support on 31 March 2003 for a public private partnership schools project. Scottish Executive and council officials have since been in regular communication in connection with the council’s developing proposals.

Research

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations or reports it has received from the staff and management of the Hannah Research Institute or any other individual or organisation with regard to the effects of any funding shortfall of the institute.

Allan Wilson: The Scottish Executive has received representations from Prospect trade union, and from members of staff at the Hannah Research Institute both directly and through their MSPs.

  Management at the Hannah have submitted redundancy proposals to the Executive in response to a need to reduce staff costs to bring the institute’s expenditure into line with its income.

Sport

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of whether a British Olympic football team would affect the status of Scotland’s international football side and the Scottish Football Association (SFA).

Mr Frank McAveety: This is a matter for the Scottish Football Association but we would not wish to see the current status of the SFA or any Scottish places in European and world football competitions jeopardised.

Sport

Dr Sylvia Jackson (Stirling) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-31164 by Allan Wilson on 14 November 2002, what progress has been made on improving access for anglers to rivers and lochs.

Allan Wilson: Further to my answer of 14 November 2002, an initial review of the system of Protection Orders has now been completed. I have recently received an analysis of the responses made. Once I have had time to consider these, I will discuss next steps with my officials.

Teachers

Nora Radcliffe (Gordon) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to assist probationer teachers placed at schools many miles from their homes.

Peter Peacock: The Teacher Induction Scheme guarantees a one-year training post with a Scottish local authority to every eligible probationer teacher. Although no guarantee is given, in the two years the scheme has run, all eligible students have been offered a place within one of their five preference authorities.

Transport

Mr Bruce McFee (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on the age at which a vehicle being used as (a) a taxi and (b) a private hire vehicle requires an MOT certificate.

Tavish Scott: Under section 47 of the Road Traffic Act 1988, taxis require an MOT Certificate after one year from the date of first registration, and annually thereafter. In the case of private hire cars an MOT Certificate is required three years from the date of first registration, and annually thereafter. Such provisions are reserved to the Westminster Parliament.

Transport

Mr Bruce McFee (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive to what standard vehicles used as (a) taxis and (b) private hire vehicles are currently tested, excluding MOT certification.

Tavish Scott: The provisions contained in the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 allow individual licensing authorities to determine the standard of fitness of taxis and private hire cars operating in their area over and above those required by general road traffic legislation.

Transport

Mr Bruce McFee (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities carry out their own (a) tests and (b) MOT certification on (i) taxis and (ii) private hire vehicles.

Tavish Scott: This information is not held centrally.

Transport

Mr Bruce McFee (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what qualifications are required of those conducting tests, excluding MOT certification, on taxis and private hire vehicles.

Tavish Scott: It is for local authorities to ensure that all staff employed by them are appropriately qualified and trained to carry out any tests required. In the event that the testing function is contracted to a third party it would be for the licensing authority to satisfy itself as to the competence of those undertaking testing duties on its behalf.

Whisky Industry

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Her Majesty's Government with regard to taking appropriate action to deal with the international trade in counterfeit whisky, as highlighted in the BBC documentary "On the trail of the whisky bandits" on 4 November 2003.

Mr Jim Wallace: The regulation of international trade is a reserved matter. However, the Scottish Executive maintains close contact with Whitehall officials on trade issues including those affecting the whisky industry in Scotland.

  Counterfeiting is a major issue for the sector and the Department of Trade and Industry, the industry and the European Commission regularly discuss and formulate strategies to deal with the cases in various international markets.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Holyrood Project

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB) has made all documentary and other evidence that it has available to the Holyrood inquiry; whether the SPCB requested that any particular items be kept confidential, and, if so, whether the nature of such items can be identified and the reasons for them being kept confidential.

Mr George Reid: : Documentary evidence has been, and continues to be, made available to the Holyrood Inquiry. The SPCB, as legal owner of the Holyrood project in succession to the then Secretary of State, is bound by contractual and other obligations created in addition to any entered into by the SPCB since the transfer date. Where obligations of confidence subsist, documentary evidence is marked accordingly. Where the inquiry considers that any part of such material ought to be made public, the consent of the parties involved will require to be obtained.

  Relevant legal advice, for example, supplied to the SPCB has been and is being made available to the inquiry and is marked confidential. It is expected that such advice would not be made public.

Holyrood Project

Margo MacDonald (Lothians) (Ind): To ask the Presiding Officer what percentage of the oak, stored in Rosyth, which was sourced and purchased for use in the debating chamber of the new Parliament building, is fit for its original use.

Mr George Reid: : The Convener of the Holyrood Progress Group has confirmed that the fit-out package contractor is working with 36% of the Scottish oak that had been bought by the Parliament at a cost of £29,000 for use in the debating chamber and other public areas of the new building. The stock of Scottish oak originally procured was round timber, sawn into planks for seasoning, and full ownership transferred to the fit-out package contractor on appointment. The timber was then kilned, re-sawn and machined, including the removal of irregular edges, and it is common in the preparation of timber, for there to be a high percentage of wastage, particularly where a high quality finish is sought. The risk and costs associated with the process, rest with the contractor.